The Pa. GOP wanted to avoid a messy primary in the AG race, but Craig Williams is putting up a fight

HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Republican Party tried to avoid a messy primary for attorney general by endorsing in the high-profile race.

Enter State Rep. Craig Williams.

The Pennsylvania GOP endorsed York County District Attorney Dave Sunday in January, calling him “committed, qualified, and prepared.” The state party made the AG endorsement earlier than usual in the election cycle in an effort to coalesce around one candidate, avoid an attack-filled primary, and save money for the hotly contested general election in November.

The early state party endorsement comes after Republicans haven’t fared well in recent statewide elections, and it gives Sunday a leg up in the April 23 primary.

But, Williams, 59, a Republican who represents parts of Delaware and Chester Counties, felt he was pushed out of the race by a select group of Harrisburg lobbyists. Now he’s making what could be a credible run for the GOP nomination without the party’s support.

In a debate between the two GOP candidates last week, Williams came out swinging by trying to paint his opponent as a progressive Democrat who’s been soft on crime while leading the DA’s office in the state’s eighth-largest county. (Sunday is a registered Republican, but was registered as a Democrat more than 10 years ago.)

Williams’ campaign even came up with a pithy nickname, like former President Donald Trump often does, for his opponent, calling him “Stumbling Sunday” after he stumbled over his words a few times during the debate.

Sunday, 48, for his part, boasted his lengthy career as a prosecutor; as York County’s DA since 2018, as well as an assistant district attorney and assistant U.S. attorney, in which he’s achieved numerous first-degree murder convictions. He also referred back to his many endorsements, including from the Pennsylvania Sheriffs Association PAC, the state GOP, and the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 73 in York.

Williams said the state’s crime rates require Pennsylvanians to elect him and “send in a Marine.” He also cited a 2023 article that found the city of York had a higher homicide rate than Philadelphia per 100,000 residents. Sunday rebutted that York’s proximity to Baltimore has driven up its crime rates in recent years, but they’ve made strides to reduce it.

The tone of the GOP debate — the only one scheduled so far — was much different than the Democratic debate held last week, during which candidates attempted to introduce themselves to voters and didn’t trade barbs.

What’s more, Williams and Sunday have raised a comparable amount of money so far — but less than what three of the five Democratic candidates have raissed.

According to the latest campaign filings, Williams has $113,527 cash on hand as of March 4, while Sunday has $177,249.

State Rep. Jared Solomon (D., Philadelphia), meanwhile, had more than $1 million cash on hand in his latest filing for the Democratic primary for AG, followed by Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer, who had $518,836. Former Bucks County Solicitor Joe Khan had $342,343 on hand. Former Auditor General Eugene DePasquale has $138,209 on hand. Keir Bradford-Grey, Philadelphia’s former chief public defender, has raised the least, with $114,064 on hand.